A multiplicity of different sensor devices for environment detection are already known in the prior art. Examples of sensors that are customary and suitable for environment detection are, for instance, mono or stereo camera devices, radar devices and ultrasonic devices. It is likewise known not only to obtain but also to transmit information about the vehicle surroundings by means of wirelessly transmitting vehicle-to-X communication devices. Overall, there is emerging a rapid and clear development toward more and more and ever more reliable vehicle systems which are capable of acquiring information by means of a multiplicity of different devices. In this case, the more different the operative principles of said devices, the better suited the devices that a common vehicle system are to validating the respectively acquired information among one another.
In this context, DE 10 2008 061 304 A1 describes a vehicle-to-X communication device for a vehicle for wirelessly transmitting vehicle-relevant data. In this case, said data are transmitted to vehicles in the surroundings or to infrastructure devices. The communication device described includes two separate communication units, wherein the first communication unit is embodied on the basis of a WLAN connection and the second communication unit is embodied on the basis of a remote keyless entry (RKE) connection.
DE 10 2007 048 809 A1 describes a method and a device for recognizing hidden objects in road traffic. In this case, the surroundings of a vehicle are firstly detected by means of sensors and corresponding information is subsequently transmitted to vehicles situated in the environment by means of an interface for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The transmitted information is received by the vehicles in the surroundings and used by them to extend an environment model, such that the environment model also includes information about objects which cannot be detected by the respective vehicle in the surroundings itself. Furthermore, a situation analysis of the environment model extended in such a way and also an assessment of the situation of the own vehicle are carried out.
DE 10 2007 058 192 A1 discloses a central control unit for a plurality of assistance systems which are provided in a motor vehicle and which are at least partly equipped with environment sensors, wherein in accordance with DE 10 2007 058 192 A1 a telematics system is also understood as an environment sensor. The central control unit is connected to the individual assistance systems at the data level and plausibilizes the information of individual environment sensors by means of the information of other environment sensors. By way of example, the image information of a camera can confirm the distance measurement of a radar sensor. Individual sensor information items can thus be confirmed and are present in a redundant fashion. Such a coupling of individual signals of different sensors is also known as sensor fusion.
What is disadvantageous about the methods and devices known from the prior art, however, is that a multiplicity of different sensors of different sensor types are required for the reliable and in particular redundant detection of objects, which is in turn associated with a comparatively high expenditure in terms of costs. If information about an object is detected by means of vehicle-to-X communication, in general it is additionally necessary for said information, prior to processing and in particular prior to use in a safety-relevant assistance system, to be subjected to a computationally complex authenticity method or to be validated by means of environment sensor information, since a malicious sender can deliberately transmit incorrect information.
Therefore, the invention addresses the problem of proposing a method which, while avoiding losses of information and losses in terms of safety, helps to reduce the multiplicity of sensors required in accordance with the prior art.
This problem is solved according to the invention by means of the method for the communication signal-based position determination of objects in road traffic as described herein.